Without Ranma: Shampoo's Story
by kitty-claws
Summary: Shampoo realizes that Ranma and Akane love each other and is lost in self pity and anguish. She becomes numb and depressed, until 'he' shows up. Who is 'he' and what is he to Shampoo?
1. Default Chapter

Without Ranma: Shampoo's Story

Ch. 1: Shampoo's Misery

Disclaimer: I don't take any credit for the creation of these characters.

It seemed as if she was falling, swirling into endless blackness. The finality of the realization was shocking. It was as if the color from the world was being sucked away and she was trapped in a never ending void of dull nothingness. 

For the last couple years, Shampoo's life had evolved entirely around Ranma. What was she to do now? She had wasted all that time actually believing he would end up with her!

Shampoo wiped her face, the unwelcome tears were strange and foreign to her, but she collapsed into them and wept as she never had before. It felt good, showing her emotions, being weak. Overwhelmed with grief Shampoo sobbed violently until she fell into a restless sleep.

Opening her eyes was painful; they felt dry and swollen. They looked dry and swollen. She licked her lips, dry with salt from her tears. It was a nice day. At least it was nice until memories grasped her and dragged her back into despair. Not only was she completely, utterly lost; she now felt completely and utterly stupid for crying. Although no one saw her crying she still felt a sense of weakness and anger for acting so…so… fragile, like a little girl. 

Work was like every other day. That is, except she was no longer giddy and filled with fantastic notions of her future life with Ranma. She just couldn't believe that he was he was Akane's now, yet the cold realization was there, hauntingly vague at the back of every thought. She never really loathed Akane, she never really believed she was competition. Even now she could not hate her, she didn't have the spirit or energy to hate anyone. 

Days passed. Nothing changed. Why couldn't she find her way out of this… this… endless bout of grief? A part of her didn't want out, it just wanted to lay down and let anguish engulf her forever. Could she do that? She could try. It was as if she had no purpose anymore. That was until 'he' came…

It was like the seemingly endless days before it; She woke up, the sorrow came, she went to work and she went about her daily tasks with a numb mind. Then 'he' walked in. At first he was just another customer and then he looked at her. His eyes riveted her attention, jolting her back into reality and forcing her to forget her own painful despair. He just stood there watching her, watching him and for a few sweet moments it was as if the world had melted away around her and it was only him, no pain or misery. Then she heard her name called and turned in response. When she looked back to the spot 'he' had been all she saw was the door slowly sucking shut, and he was gone. Then the icy tendrils came creeping back and 'he' was forgotten.


	2. The Mysterious 'He'

Without Ranma: Shampoo's Story

Ch. 2: The Mysterious 'He'

Disclaimer: I don't take any credit for the creation of these characters they are solely Rumiko Takahashi's

Although Shampoo's every thought involved the pain of losing Ranma, somehow she always ended up thinking about 'him'. She had no idea who he was but she could not stop thinking about him. He had looked into her eyes and somehow saw more, so much more. She could still feel the connection, the thought made her stomach flip for some reason she wished she knew. 

Some nights she would awake from a dream of meeting 'him' again. In the dream he would enter the cafe and she would start walking towards him. As she got closer the room would grow and stretch away from her and she would run towards him, frantic to reach him, to be safe with him. When she was finally close enough, 'he' would extend his hand out to her and she would extend hers to him and just before she finally felt his touch, she would wake up. 

As crazy as Ranma always made Shampoo, she never felt quite the way 'he' made her feel. She knew that if she could just reach out to him he could save her. Only he could pull her away from the anguish and torment she caused herself.

While Shampoo was making one of her daily deliveries, something happened. She was riding along, not really paying attention to anything. She turned into one of the familiar back alleys she used as a shortcut. When she turned out onto the street on the other side, she heard yelling and honking horns. Of course her, being so dead to the world lately, didn't really pay attention to the commotion. She caught a blur in the corner of her eye and turned to see what it was. Someone was charging toward her across the street, they lunged at her and knocked her off her bike and onto the sidewalk. Only after a large produce truck crushed her bike did she realize she had turned right into the middle of the road!

"Hey… Hey…HEY!" Shampoo turned her head and saw 'him' he was there, right in front of her! She was laying flat on her back. "Are you all right?" Shampoo just stared at him blankly. "Excuse me, are you okay?" He asked her again.

"Um…. Yah, I think so…" She replied slowly, not able to peel her gaze away from him, he might disappear again. "Thanks." She said, as she sat up, if not dizzily.

"That's okay. What were you doing out there anyway? You should pay more attention." It was so strange hearing him talk to her. He was so real, she could touch him. She reached her hand out and touched his arm. Despite the strange way he stared at her she couldn't help feeling a wave of relief.

"I was…thinking about…something. I'm really sorry." She apologized

"Hey, its no problem, I save people all the time." He laughed. "I'm afraid I don't save their bikes though." He said, gesturing toward the pile of bent metal and broken spokes. "Are you going to be able to make it home all right?" He asked, with genuine concern.

"I think so." Shampoo said, stumbling to her feet. She wasn't lightheaded so much from such a hard fall, but from the realization of having him here. 

"I think I should walk you home, you don't look so good, er, I mean you don't look so well, you look fine, I just… Hey you work at the cat cafe, don't you?" He asked, his face still a little blushed.

"Yah I do. Who are you?" She asked, still not able to look away, terrified he would vanish again.

"Who am I? My name is………

continued in the next chapter.


End file.
